# ■ 7 My angel of music

For a week Raoul saw Christine every day．Some days Christine was quiet and unhappy，some days she laughed and sang. She never wanted to talk about the Opera House， or her singing， or Raoul's love for her． Raoul was very afraid for her．Who， or what，was this strange teacher，this man's voice，her'angel of music'？

Then one day there was no Christine．She was not at her home, not at the Opera House，not at their meeting places Raoul looked everywhere and asked everybody．Where was Christine Daaé？But nobody knew．

Two days before the Opera House opened again，a letter ar rived for Raoul．It was from Christine．

Meet me in an hour at the top of the Opera House，on the tenth floor．

The tenth floor of the Opera House was a dangerous place.There were hundreds of ropes going down to the stage below it was a long，long way down.

Raoul and Christine sat in a dark corner，and Raoul took Christine's hands. Her face was white and tired．

Listen，Raoul，'she said quiety.'I'm going to tell you ev erything．But this is our last meeting. I can never see you again.'

No，Christine！'Raoul cried．' I love you，and we-'

Shh! Quietly! Perhaps he can hear us．He's everywhere in the Opera House， Raoul!'

Who？What are you talking about，Christine？'

My angel of music．I couldn't meet you last Satuday be cause he came for me，and took me away．I was in my dressing room in the Opera House and suddenly，he was there in front of me! I saw the voice for the first time！ He wore black evening clothes and a mask over his face. He took me throughmany secret doors and passages，down，down under the Opera House．There is a lake down there，a big lake； the waters are black and cold．He took me across the lake in a boat to his house．He lives there，Raoul，in a house on the lake，under the Opera House!'

Raoul stared at her．Was his beautiful Christine mad？ Chris tine saw his face，and said quickly：

It's true，Raoul，It's true! And he…，he is the Phantom of the Opera！But he's not a ghost，he's not an angel of music，he's a man！His name is Erik，and he loves me，he wants me to be his wife！No，Raoul，listen， there is more．He told me all this in his house，in a beautiful room．He said that no woman could everlove him，because of his face．He was so unhappy! Then he took off his mask，and I saw his face．'

She began to cry，and Raoul put his arms around her．

Oh Raoul，he has the most terrible face！It is so ugly! I wanted to scream and run away．But where could I run to？ He has the face of a dead man，Raoul，but he is not dead！He has no nose，just two black holes in his yellow face．And his eyes！Sometimes they are black holes，sometimes they have a terrible red light…'

She put her face in her hands for a second．Then she said，'I stayed in his house for five days．He was very good to me，and I felt sorry for him， Raoul． He wants me to love him， and I told him…I told him…'

No，Christine，no！You're going to be my wife！Come away with me at once，today！You can't go back to him．'

But I must，' Christine said quietly．'He knows about you，Raoul．He knows about us．He says he's going to kill you．I must go back to him．'

Never!' said Raoul．'I love you，Christine，and I'm going to kill this Erik！'

Erik…Erik…Erik…Erik… The word whispered round the Opera House．Raoul and Christine stared．

What was that？' Raoul said， afraid．'Was that… his voice？Where did it come from？'

I'm afraid，Raoul，'Christine whispered．I'm singing Margarita again on Saturday．What's going to happen？'

This，'Raoul said．'After the opera on Saturday night，you and I are going away together．Come on，let's go down now．I don't like it up here．'

They went carefully along a dark passage to some stairs，then suddenly stopped．There was a man in front of them, a tall man in a long dark coat and a black hat．He turned and looked at them．

No，not these stairs，'he said．'Go to the stairs at the front．And go quickly!'

Christine turned and ran．Raoul ran after her．

Who was that man？' he asked．

It's the Persian，' Christine answered．

But who is he？ What's his name？ Why did he tell us to go to the front stairs？'

Nobody knows his name．He's just the Persian. He's al ways in the Opera House．I think he knows about Erik，but he never talks about him．Perhaps he saw Erik on those stairs， and wanted to help us．'

Hand in hand，they ran quickly down the stairs，through passages，then more stairs and more passages．At one of the lit tle back doors to the Opera House，they stopped．

On Saturday night，then．After the opera，'Raoul said．

I'm going to take you away，and marry you．'

Christine looked up into his face．'Yes，Raoul．'

Then they kissed， there by the door of the Opera House．Their first kiss．

■ 7 我的音樂天使

在一個星期的時間裡拉烏爾天天都與克麗斯廷約會。有時候克麗斯廷顯得沉默而不太高興，而有時候她又笑又唱。她從不願提及歌劇院，不願提及她的演唱，也不願提及拉烏爾對她的愛。拉烏爾為她感到非常擔心。這個奇怪的老師，這個男人的聲音，她的“音樂天使”到底是誰，或者是什麼？

後來有一天克麗斯廷不見了。她不在家裡，不在歌劇院裡，也不在他們約會的地方。拉烏爾到處找並且問遍了所有的人。克麗斯廷·達埃在哪裡？但是沒有人知道。

在歌劇院重新開業的前兩天，一封信送到了拉烏爾手裡。它是克麗斯廷寫來的。

一個小時以後到歌劇院的頂層第10層來見我。

歌劇院的第10層是一個危險的地方。那裡有數百條繩索垂向下面的舞臺——長長地下垂著。

拉烏爾和克麗斯廷坐在一個陰暗的角落裡，拉烏爾握著克麗斯廷的雙手。她的臉色蒼白，顯得有些疲憊。

“聽著，拉烏爾，”她輕聲說，“我將把一切都告訴你。但是這是我們的最後一次約會。我再也不能見你了。”

“不，克麗斯廷！”拉烏爾喊道，“我愛你，而且我們——”

“噓！小聲點！也許他能聽到我們。在歌劇院裡他無處不在，拉烏爾！”

“誰？你在說什麼，克麗斯廷？”

“我的音樂天使。上個星期六我不能來見你，因為他來邀我，並且把我帶走了。當時我正在歌劇院我的化妝室裡，突然地，他就出現在我的面前！我第一次看到了發出這個聲音的人！他穿著黑色晚禮服，臉上戴著面罩。他帶著我穿過許多祕密的門和走廊，在歌劇院的底下一直往下、往下走。那裡的最下面有一個湖，一個挺大的湖；湖水又黑又涼。他用小船帶著我渡過那個湖去他的住處。他住在那裡，拉烏爾，住在湖上的房子裡，在歌劇院的底下！”

拉烏爾凝視著她。他的美麗的克麗斯廷瘋了嗎？克麗斯廷看著他的臉，急急地說：

“這是真的，拉烏爾，這是真的！而他……他就是那個歌劇院的幽靈！不過他不是鬼，他也不是音樂天使，他是一個實實在在的男人！他的名字叫埃裡克，他愛我，他希望我成為他的妻子！不，拉烏爾，聽著，還有。在他的房子裡，在一個漂亮的房間裡，他把這一切都告訴了我。他說沒有一個女人曾經愛過他，都是因為他的臉。他是如此的不幸！接著他摘下他的面罩，我看到了他的臉。”

她開始叫起來，拉烏爾一把將她抱住。

“哦！拉烏爾，他有一張最最可怕的臉！它是如此的醜陋！我真想尖叫著跑掉，可是我能往哪兒跑？他有一張死人一樣的臉，拉烏爾，但是他並不是死人！他沒有鼻子，在他的黃色的臉上只有兩個黑洞。而他的眼睛！有時候它們是黑洞，有時候它們則發出可怕的紅光……”

她把臉埋入雙手之中，片刻之後她說：“我在他的房子裡呆了5天。他對我非常好，我覺得對不起他，拉烏爾。他希望我愛他，而我告訴他……我告訴他……”

“不，克麗斯廷，不！你將成為我的妻子！來，馬上和我離開這兒，今天！你不能回到他那兒去。”

“但是我必須，”克麗斯廷輕聲道，“他知道你，拉烏爾。他知道我們的事。他說他要殺了你。我必須回到他那兒去。”

“決不！”拉烏爾說，“我愛你，克麗斯廷，而且我要殺了這個埃裡克！”

埃裡克……埃裡克……埃裡克……埃裡克……這聲音在歌劇院裡低聲迴盪著。拉烏爾和克麗斯廷面面相覷。

“那是什麼？”拉烏爾害怕地說，“那是……他的聲音嗎？它們是從哪兒發出來的？”

“我害怕，拉烏爾，”克麗斯廷輕聲說，“星期六我將再次演唱瑪格麗塔。到時候會發生什麼事呢？”

“這樣，”拉烏爾說，“演完星期六晚上的那場歌劇以後，你和我一起離開這兒。我們下去吧。我不喜歡呆在這裡。”

他們小心翼翼地沿著黑暗的走廊朝樓梯走去，接著突然停住了。有一個男人站在他們前面，一個高個子男人，穿著深色長外衣，戴著一頂黑色帽子。他轉過身來看著他們。

“不，別走這樓梯，”他說，“去前面那樓梯，快走！”

克麗斯廷轉身就跑。拉烏爾跟著她跑。

“那個人是誰？”他問。

“是個波斯人。”克麗斯廷回答。

“但是他是誰？他叫什麼名字？為什麼他告訴我們要走前面的樓梯？”

“沒有人知道他的名字。他就是波斯人。他經常在歌劇院裡。我想他了解埃裡克，但是他從不提及他。或許他看到埃裡克在那樓梯上，而想幫助我們。”

他們手拉著手飛快地跑下樓梯，穿過走廊，下面還有更多的樓梯和走廊。在快到歌劇院門口的一道門那兒，他們停住了。

“星期六晚上，到那時，演完歌劇以後，”拉烏爾說，“我要帶你離開這兒，並且和你結婚。”

克麗斯廷抬頭深情地看著他的臉。“好吧，拉烏爾。”

隨後他們接吻了，在歌劇院的那道門邊。那是他們的初吻。